He said more than 35,000 extra NHS staff have already joined up to help fight against the virus, including retired doctors and nurses returning to the service and final year students. Mr Hancock said a call for people to return to the NHS has been “incredibly successful”, with 11,788 people responding. Mr Hancock said: "We will, next week, open a new hospital - a temporary hospital - the NHS Nightingale Hospital at the Excel centre in London. "The NHS Nightingale Hospital will comprise two wards, each of 2,000 people. (Image: PA)The overall number of confirmed cases has now risen to 8,077 as of 1pm today, the NHS said.

Source: Daily Mirror March 24, 2020 16:40 UTC